


A Light in the Darkness

by NullArc



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Arranged Marriage, Dubious Consent, First Time, Forced Feminization, Intersex, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:08:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29739894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NullArc/pseuds/NullArc
Summary: Kíli is married off to Thranduil.
Relationships: Kíli/Thranduil (Tolkien)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that this is a fictional work about fictional races. This is not meant to be commentary or representative of transgender people in the real world.

There was a secret kept by the dwarves. It was not simply that dwarf women looked a lot like the male dwarves. There was a significant amount of the dwarves that were neither strictly male nor female. Instead, they were both, and were able to carry and sire offspring. They were a treasure amongst the dwarves as they oft were even more fertile than those of a single sex. Those who were intersex were highly sought out, and often had their pick of suitors. It was viewed as a blessing directly from Mahal himself to be born as intersex. Even so, many of those who found themselves between the sexes typically chose to present themselves as male when dealing with the outside world. It certainly was easier to identify oneself as either male or female seeing as how – to the dwarves’ knowledge – the other races were a strict binary when it came to sex. They had no words to describe those caught between sexes, and the dwarves had no desire to teach them theirs. If the elves and men would have cared to look carefully, they might have noticed the slighter built, the absence of thick and lush facial hair that oft gave away those intersex dwarves. Sometimes, the dwarf felt more akin to one sex over the other. None of the dwarves questioned this, simply accepting it as truth.

One dwarf who found themselves blessed by Mahal was Kíli, nephew to Thorin Oakenshield. Any dwarf could tell that Kíli was intersex, but the young dwarf preferred to identify himself as male. He did not enjoy the attention that came with being the blessed sex. Life would be simpler if he had been born male like his older brother. But alas, he was “blessed.” Fortunately, he would be able to choose a life partner. Or so he had thought. The quest to reclaim Erebor had been a success. But Thorin would never forgive his nephews for their betrayal. Or what he considered betrayal. Truth be told, Kíli and Fíli had helped the hobbit burglar swipe the Arkenstone in the hopes of saving Thorin and the company from Thorin’s madness. As punishment, Thorin had negotiated a marriage for Kíli that would take him away from his brother. Even worse, Thorin had demanded that he behave as a queen for the Elvenking. He had barely even considered marriage, and now he was not even given the dignity of honoring the fact that he felt closer to male than he did to female. He did not wish to marry the Elvenking, let alone leave Erebor for Mirkwood. Alas, his fate was sealed, and he had no choice but to accept it.


	2. Chapter 2

The royal wing of Erebor is magnificent. The rooms, now refurnished and repaired, are spacious and decadent. Even so, Kíli is tired of being confined to his opulent cage. His only contact with the outside world is with the tutors who are attempting to teach him to behave as a proper elven wife. Or at least to the best knowledge of the dwarves. Kíli is doubtful about some of the rules, but until he is in Thranduil’s court he will just have to take the tutor’s word for it. He wishes that Fíli were with him. His brother was always better at discerning truth than he was. Probably one of the reasons that Fíli is still the crown prince and is not being sold off like livestock.

Honestly, he is not even entirely sure anything anymore. Perhaps this is because he is stuck in a gilded prison, surrounded by nothing but the same walls and with only a handful of people who come by to talk down to him. Or maybe he is slipping into madness himself. Such illness does seem to run quite heavily through his line of kin. Maybe it runs just as deep in all those of royal lines. Or maybe it is more common than he thinks. He would have thought that it would run more deeply among those who were less fortunate, but perhaps it is the curse of being privileged. The scales may have to be balanced in one way or another. But then, it is quite possible that he is overthinking things.

Not like there is much else to think about. Or that he wants to think about. He will be living in Mirkwood within the month being wed to an elf, for all intents and purposes, a queen consort. He thinks, anyway. He might just be a glorified concubine. Will Thranduil grow tired of him as he gets older? How often will he be able to see his brother? Is he really going to have to get used to being viewed as a lass? How is he going to be able to deal with being denied his right to be known as he truly is. Can elves and dwarves produce a child together? That thought scares him the most. He likes children well enough, but the thought of one growing inside of him is horrifying. Mahal, he hopes that he will not become pregnant.

Kíli is definitely going to be crazy by the time he is allowed out of his quarters. That much is now certain. That, or he will be an alcoholic as the ale or wine he is allowed with his meals is the only thing that calms his racing thoughts. He can only hope that his jailers will not take that small reprieve from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters will be longer in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

Mirkwood Forest has a peculiar way of looming over one while still appearing as nothing more than a distant smudge. Kíli is unsure of how he is going to get used to living in that dark and foreboding forest. Even from a distance the forest gives him the creeps. And that is not just because he nearly got eaten by spiders, and then actually got imprisoned by his soon to be husband then almost died because of a poisoned orc arrow. Even before he had set foot in that overgrown death trap, he had not felt right about it. Perhaps the living quarters will be more welcoming. That amazing and blessed she-elf – Tauriel, that was her name – had said that wood elves loved the light of the stars. So, perhaps he would be able to at least look up and see the night sky instead of being surrounded by old trees and overgrown moss. That might help the claustrophobic feeling that had been so oppressive the last time he was there.

Or it might not. Life has not been simple to understand in quite some time. Take dresses, for instance. Dresses were not made for travelling. They do not seem to be made for much except looking pretty, in Kíli’s opinion. Kíli is sorely tempted to strip the dress and petticoats off, but he has the feeling that such an action will be frowned upon as he is supposed to be prim and proper now. No more room for wildness or fun anymore. Not to mention that riding naked is probably even worse than it sounds. But, Thorin could have let him wear pants to travel from Erebor to Mirkwood. If for no other reason than practicality. Alas, his uncle seemed more than committed to the idea of him being viewed as a female. Hopefully, once he is in Mirkwood and his kinfolk have gone, his husband will allow him to dress how he wishes to. He certainly is not going to get his hopes up, though.

There is still at least one more day worth of travel until they reach the border of Mirkwood, and then perhaps another day or two until they come to the Elvenking’s palace. After that it will be maybe a week until the wedding. As much a Kíli wishes that the wedding would over already, there is still something terrifying about the thought of being bound to the Elvenking. It is unreal to think that his uncle would even consent to, much less suggest, a union with Thranduil. Not with all the animosity between the two realms and the two species in general. How Kíli himself had not been tainted with the typical dwarven xenophobic nature was a bit of a mystery. He had always rather enjoyed the curious nature of other races. And soon that enjoyment was going to be tested as he lived amongst wood-elves with nary a dwarf for familiar companionship around.

Before long, the traveling party stops for the evening. Kíli finds that sleep eludes him as his thoughts continue to race. The night sky, so vast and seemingly unending, offers a minute amount of comfort. It is certainly an improvement over the ceiling in his quarters in Erebor. As the light of the stars begins to fade as the sun begins to rise on the horizon, Kíli thinks that maybe the wood-elves are onto something with their love of the starlight. Maybe, as Tauriel had said, they were filled with precious and pure memory. He is still uncertain exactly what the she-elf had meant by that, but he finds himself longing to seek out that memory long after the stars have retreated behind the sun’s warm glow. Ah, well, maybe his future husband will help him understand one day.


End file.
